The Legend of the Faceless Lady

If you think about television in the 60s it was filled with westerns, variety, comedy and game shows. Some of the edgier television shows began to emerge in the mid 60s like Laugh In. There was also dramas which explored the dark side. The best examples were The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock. At the movies there was the regular showing of cheap horror flicks like the Blob.

Being 15, your imaginations still ran wild and you could believe just about anything, especially on a moon filled night or with the crunch of leaves when dared to run through the cemetery at the foot of West Street on Halloween night.

In Bronte, one of our staples was the backyard sleep out. You might remember those old, green canvas tents. The musty, humid and dank smell. Or touching the spot over your friends head in a rain storm guaranteed to cause a drip. They took forever to set up and a good wind would blow them down

Preparing for a sleep out was a little like a military campaign. Sleeping bags were the start. But you needed a flashlight or some kind of lantern. There were board and card games. Most important was a transistor radio. Then there was the trip to Highfields corner store. For a quarter you could stock up on the night's provisions. There was the small brown bag of carefully selected penny candy. The contents included spearmint leaves, pixie sticks, string liquorice and those tri-coloured slabs of pull toffee. Ever present were the 3 for a penny blackballs. With a bit more money one of those foil/silver bags of chips and a bottle of pop could be added to the provisions.

For our parents, the worst they thought would happen is we would stay up too late and eat all that junk we had purchased.

The real reason for the sleep out was far more nefarious.

Periodically, we would crack open the tent flap to see if lights were still on in the house. After concluding the occupants were asleep, we ventured out an a brief reconnaissance mission, walking around the yard and the edges of the property while listening for sounds of life elsewhere in the neighbourhood, voices, dogs barking or a car on the street.

Having determine the world had settled into its nightly rest, it was time to head out on our mission for the evening. Many times we would meet up with our friends to prowl the streets of Bronte, the Beach and beyond enjoying the freedom of being on our own and no adult supervision. Many evenings there would be pranks and other activities, some admittedly illegal including "borrowing" fruit and corn from Cudmore's roadside market. On more than one occasion, we were chased but never caught by the local constabulary.

There was also the incident of a large amount of a new product; Cold Water All detergent being dumped into the Cities Services Fountain (where Shell Park/Pier is today), of which I have some direct knowledge

In the summer of 1964-65 a story of an encounter with a Faceless Lady began to circulate. Again my faded memory recalls a story in the old Oakville Journal or the Record. I did a search of Halinet to see if any articles showed up, but there does not appear to be any record.

This story/rumour circulated throughout Oakville. I am certain others who share this memory will have different versions or story lines.

This is what I remember from the fog of nearly 60 years ago. No doubt this is how legends are created and stories changed based on a few facts and personal embellishments.

One of the stories circulating, was some teens showed up at the hospital with minor injuries and scrapes. When asked by the police; they reported being attacked by a "faceless lady".

The attack took place in north Oakville. Henderson Park was located on Burnhamthorpe Road, east of Hwy.25, where it crosses a branch of the Oakville Creek. The park no longer exists as it was closed by the Town of Oakville. In the 1960s, this was all farm land with the exception of a private park, campground owned an operated by St. Lawrence Cement for its employees. As for the park, it was one of those out of sight; out of mind locations which attracted problems, risky and bad behaviour of all kinds. Underage drinking, hanging out and "submarine races" were certainly present.

This might have been fertile ground for the birth of the rumour and legend. Before the internet and cell phones this was a story that was shared from one person to another. The supposed attack on these kids may have been a "story line" for the police and parents to cover up more questionable behaviour.

As the story grew, there were supposed new sightings. There was one event, that I have a bit more knowledge.

Bronte Beach was always a place for kids to gather. At one time there was a dance pavilion, by the bluffs. In the very late 50s, early 60s there was a long building approximately where the turning circle is today. It held a snack bar and I remember pinball machines and maybe a juke box. By the mid 60s it was gone.

Around 1964-5, a local businessman did open up a bit of a snack shack selling ice cream, candy, pop chips etc. For a few years there were the hydroplane or sea flea races in early July. There were grandstands or you could see them from the bluffs. Bronte Beach was our piece of California sun and beach life.

Bronte Creek was great for fishing and swimming . We would start up at what we called the Buttments (Rebecca Street) in June. As the water warmed we would move up to the Bend, the off the dock at the Riverside Restaurant and eventually to Bronte Beach. The boat ramp and the Pier in front of Lakeside Marketeria (the Shores) were favourite locations. This included terrorizing sail boats entering and leaving the harbour with well place cannonballs. By late July and August the lake had warmed enough to swim at the diving board located on the west pier.

The summer of the "Faceless Lady" the backyard sleep outs and our nocturnal adventures merged together. For some reason, a family chose Bronte Beach to camp for a number of nights. By the mid 60s all the old cottages were gone, but I have no recollection of the Beach being used as a camp ground, except this one occasion. Where they were from, who they were or why they chose this location are questions a 14-15 year old would have no interest in, other than they were there and it was out of the norm.

Some how our fertile imaginations came up with the idea of visiting the beach on one of our night time adventures. We either "borrowed" from Cudmore's or obtained apples, which we thought would be fun to throw at the tents at 2 am in the morning. That combined with screams, animal noises would add to the "atmosphere". One of the older teens pulled a jacket over his head zipped up and arms out of the sleeves. Then, with a bit of a Frankenstein walk, proceed to pace the area, eventually walking almost vertically up the bluffs before disappearing. To add to the atmosphere and few of the garbage cans where lit on fire, creating a very eerie feel. Left over fire crackers from the May 24th weekend where set off for sound effects.

The following morning Oakville Police did show up and speak with the campers. Whether it was about the previous evenings events or their camping at the Beach we never found out. Our contribution to the story was that the Faceless Lady made an appearance in Bronte.

To this day, one of my strongest memories was that sense of freedom walking the silent streets passed the witching hour of midnight. Meeting up with other friends under the glow of a street light, talking in hushed tones and sharing the nights adventures. The sound of a car would send us scattering in all directions looking for a place to hide in the shadows in case is was the Police on patrol.

So was there a Faceless Lady, who knows? Was it just a local ghost story? A Faceless Lady, what would it/she look like. Use your imagination.